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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28484244">Mermaids in the Moonlight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schelet/pseuds/Schelet'>Schelet</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Little Witch Academia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adventure, F/F, Fluff, Mermaids, Romance, Zine: Believing Hearts - A Diana x Akko Fanzine (Little Witch Academia)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:53:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,000</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28484244</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schelet/pseuds/Schelet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Akko and Diana are enjoying a trip to the Bahamas together, and all is quiet and peaceful... well, perhaps too much. When Akko grows restless for some excitement, Diana decides to treat her to an undersea adventure. Enjoy this humorous short story as they explore the beautiful oceans of the Bahamas, find mysterious wonders in the deep, and share a touching heart to heart moment deep in the moonlit ocean.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Mermaids in the Moonlight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello! This story was part of the Believing Hearts fanzine, a wonderful community project that I had the pleasure of taking part in over the course of the past year. If you'd like to see other stories and artwork by fan-creators, please visit twitter.com/DiakkoProject or check the Believing Hearts tag on AO3!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The warm sunlight shined across the shimmering blue waves washing over the shoreline, reaching the white sands of the coast only to retreat to the ocean before crashing back ashore. The gentle sound of water rocking back and forth was interrupted by a sudden gust that rushed along the beach and threatened to take away anything that wasn't secured.</p>
<p>“My hat!”</p>
<p>A wide-brimmed straw hat was swept away and danced across the sand, tumbling with the unseen current. The sound of rapid stomping quickly followed behind it, and just as the sunhat was preparing another graceful jump a pair of hands latched onto it and sent it crashing to the ground.</p>
<p>“Akko?! Are you okay?” the voice called out.</p>
<p>Atsuko stood up, clutching the hat, as she brushed sand from the frills of her pink bikini, “I'm fine, Diana!” She victoriously held the hat up, the crown being dented in, “I got your hat!”</p>
<p>Diana sighed beneath an umbrella as Akko skipped back to her, “I can see that, dear, thank you for retrieving it.”</p>
<p>Akko sat down next to Diana while Diana took the hat from her and put her hand inside of it to pop the crown back into place, then leaned over to kiss her girlfriend on the cheek. The girls sat together as the beach returned to a still, the waves being the only sound breaking the silence. Diana closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled as she took in the peaceful ambience and savored the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of nature--</p>
<p>“Dianaaa!”</p>
<p>Diana huffed through her nose as she looked over, “Yes, dear?”</p>
<p>“Spending time in the Bahamas is really nice, but...” Akko trailed off as her eyes wandered to the water, “we've just been staying at resorts and laying around the beaches! I was hoping to do something more exciting, maybe explore something while we're here!” she exclaimed as she threw a hand out to the ocean.</p>
<p>Diana tilted her head, “I suppose that's fair... Let me see if there's anything interesting in this pamphlet.”</p>
<p>Diana picked up the leaflet and thumbed through the folded pages, each side covering one of the many islands and suggesting points of interest. They had already spent hours exploring locales across the large western Andros Island, and with the evening left to themselves there was still much they could do. Diana's eyes skimmed across the blurb for each island, reading anything interesting aloud as a suggestion.</p>
<p>“There's Nassau on New Providence, the capital of the Bahamas...”</p>
<p>“Meh!” Akko disregarded the idea.</p>
<p>“Hmm...” Diana skipped to another island, “Cat Island lies to the east...”</p>
<p>“Oh!” Akko perked up at the name, “An island full of cats?!”</p>
<p>“... Which does not contain any large cat populations...”</p>
<p>“Oh...” Akko sunk down to a slouch as boredom took over.</p>
<p>Diana felt pressured to find something interesting for Akko, who was too used to constant excitement in her life, turning page after page as she read to herself. <em>Berry Islands, a beautiful natural landscape; Eleuthera, dotted with ocean holes; Exuma, famous for its beach of swimming pigs...</em></p>
<p>Diana finally found something that Akko might like: the large coral reefs south of Andros and the deep underwater depression mere kilometers from the shore. Somewhere in the dark depths was an ancient tower, said to be built by magical creatures long ago...</p>
<p>Diana read further into the blurb as she spoke aloud, “The 'Tongue of the Ocean'...?”</p>
<p>Akko suddenly lifted herself from her prone position, “I heard 'tongue'! What are we doing?” she looked over to Diana with glee.</p>
<p>Diana put her hand on Akko's shoulder and gently pushed her over. “Behave. I know what we can do.” she stated as she set the pamphlet into their bag of possessions and pulled out her concealed wand. “There's some coral reefs not too far from the beach, and I think there's a place in the ocean that will be exciting for you.”</p>
<p>“You mean we can go swimming and explore the ocean?!” Akko reached into their bag and pulled out her wand, then stood up and began running to the water. “Undersea adventures!”</p>
<p>“Akko, wait!” Diana called out as she watched Akko run off without bothering to stow their items.</p>
<p>Akko stomped through the clear water as waves impacted her legs, the shallow sand flat stretching as far as she could see, and extended her wand into the air before shouting, “<em>Metamorphie Faciesse</em>--!”</p>
<p>Akko's foot sank into a small hole and her whole body came falling forward, crashing into the water with a painful sting spreading across her front which was shortly followed by a sudden boom of water and smoke.</p>
<p>“A-Akko!” Diana called out, putting her hat away and standing to sprint across the beach. Her feet trampled across the water as she rushed to the dissipating smoke, urgently searching for her girlfriend. An orange blob caught her eye, and as she approached it she recognized the frilly pink bikini that floated in the water nearby.</p>
<p>Diana turned the fishy creature over and picked it up in her arms, “Akko! Are you okay?!”</p>
<p>“Diana...” Akko's small merman body trembled, her weak voice struggling to be heard, “I... ” Her fishy hand reached for Diana's shoulder and pulled herself closer to Diana's ear, “<em>I'm technically naked, y'know</em>.”</p>
<p>All worry quickly drained from Diana's expression as she promptly dropped Akko back into the water, who struggled to stay afloat. “You're a fish, Akko.”</p>
<p>Akko refuted, “I'm a <em>merman</em>!”</p>
<p>Diana grabbed the drifting bikini and walked across the shallow flat, “Come on. We've quite a ways to walk... or, swim.”</p>
<p>Akko grabbed her wand and swam next to Diana, bobbing above the waves as they trudged forward. After a few minutes, the sand began descending and Diana quickly found herself submerged up to her stomach before leveling out once more. Akko swam circles around her as she pushed on, which was becoming annoying so Diana snatched her up and held her to her chest.</p>
<p>“Ah, living the life!” Akko sighed, nudging herself closer to Diana.</p>
<p>“I'll drop you again.” Diana threatened.</p>
<p>Now the water was becoming more opaque the further they ventured and Diana was careful to ensure she wouldn't sink further. Eventually, the arch of her foot curved over the edge of a declining slope that felt too steep to descend.</p>
<p>“I believe this is as far as we can walk... I'll transform as well now.”</p>
<p>“Let me help!”</p>
<p>“Wait--”</p>
<p>Before Diana could object, there was another blast of smoke and water as her body was shrunken to a stout merman. She splashed into the water and oriented herself as she realized what happened, looking over her stubby fish hands and pale body. She saw her wand sinking nearby and grabbed it before rising to the water's surface; she glared at Akko, who smiled back, and sighed.</p>
<p>“You're lucky you're cute.” Diana stated as she cast a spell that sent their floating bikinis away and began swimming.</p>
<p>The girls swam along while the warm sunlight shined through the deep blue water, illuminating the sand beneath them which became overgrown with seagrass. Green strands reached high and low, some growing as tall as the girls, and dozens of small fishes and crustaceans scurried amongst it. Akko looked down in awe as they swam over the bustling ecosystem, and Diana looked in admiration at her enchanted girlfriend.</p>
<p>Soon the seagrass became sparse as sand turned to jagged rocks, and the girls caught sight of the approaching coral reefs. They were both dazzled by the display of colorful corals and the fish that swam around them: brilliant blues mixed with golden yellows, soft pinks clashed with harsh reds, shining angelfish and striped lionfish swam through corals while goofy triggerfish and groupers swam above, and even the odd stingray or slithering eel hid in the sands or rocky alcoves. The sight was beautiful and teeming with life.</p>
<p>“Wow... It's so wonderful!” Akko cheered.</p>
<p>“I agree. It's amazing how so much beauty can lie in one place.” Diana stated as she smiled to Akko. “As much as I'd love to stay here, though, there's one more place I'd like to take you.”</p>
<p>“Really? Is it as amazing as this?!” Akko asked as she clapped her fishy hands.</p>
<p>“I think so...” Diana began as she drew her wand, “but I think we should transform into something that swims faster...”</p>
<p>The green glow of the wand dispersed into swirls around the girls as their stout bodies were changed once again and returned to their normal forms, though with one key difference.</p>
<p>The spinning bubbles floated away as the transformation finished, and Akko looked down and covered her chest with a yelp, “Diana, you pervert!”<br/>Diana pinched the bridge of her nose, “You aren't naked, Akko...”</p>
<p>Akko uncovered her chest to see two pink shells covering her chest, but more importantly noticed the large red fish tail that replaced her legs. “Whoa! Diana, I'm a mermaid!”</p>
<p>Diana swam circles around Akko, her own blue tail flapping in the water, “I thought this might be more graceful than your... <em>cute</em> merman. Besides...” she stopped as she looked above to the orange light pouring through the water, “it'll be dark soon.”</p>
<p>“Right!” Akko sprang to life as she wiggled her lower half and figured out how to propel herself forward, though her attempt at swimming was more like a struggle.</p>
<p>Diana spoke, “Dear, you're using your hips too much. You need to bend your whole body like a wave and kick with your tail.”</p>
<p>“R-Right! I'll get the hang of it!” Akko assured as she bobbed her body back and forth while her tail kicked wildly, stirring up dust beneath her.</p>
<p>Diana smiled and sighed as she took Akko's hand, “Just swim with me and you'll be fine.”</p>
<p>Diana leaned forward and pushed off with one swift motion, her body moving elegantly like a natural current in the sea. Akko struggled to mimic her motions, but soon her body was matching the same waving dance as the girls ventured deeper into the sea.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Whoa...”</p>
<p>Just ahead of them was a deep emptiness in the sea as they neared a sharp drop off; the girls swam over massive zigzagging sand dunes that surrounded the edge of the cliff, like an iris surrounding the black void of an enormous pupil, and once they reached the verge they looked down only to see the darkness where the dim sunlight failed to reach. Diana shivered, realizing how gigantic this place really was with the cliffs stretching left and right as far as she could see and no obvious structures in sight.</p>
<p>Diana composed herself before speaking, “This is the 'Tongue of the Ocean', a... <em>very</em> deep circular depression in the sea...”</p>
<p>“This is really cool...” Akko said, mesmerized.</p>
<p>“Yes, well... the place I want to show you is in the center of this area.” Diana said as she gestured forward. “Somewhere...”</p>
<p>Akko's eyes widened, “Out there?!”</p>
<p>Diana cleared her throat and cast a light spell from the end of her wand, “Yes, but finding this mysterious structure is all in the spirit of 'undersea adventures', right? Come on, I'll lead the way...”</p>
<p>Diana swam away from the safety of the cliff and looked down into the bottomless void, dead still as a harrowing knot formed in her stomach. She felt tiny in this remote place, even the bright light wasn't enough to comfort her...</p>
<p>“Diana.”</p>
<p>Snapping from her fear, Diana felt Akko squeezing her hand; she was at her side, smiling with her usual confidence.</p>
<p>“Just swim with me and you'll be fine.” Akko reassured her as her hand trembled.</p>
<p>Diana smiled and nodded, and the girls began swimming into the nothingness. The water was much colder here, and sunlight barely glimmered above. They swam for what seemed like forever, their eyes kept searching for any signs of a structure but the ocean seemed endless. The stillness was eerie, and the girls kept their hands clasped together.</p>
<p>Suddenly, a dull hum broke the silence and the girls froze. Their eyes darted around until they both saw a colossal shadow approaching them, which made a long cry muffled by the water. The girls clung together as it approached, and the shadowy giant quickly came into view...</p>
<p>“I-It's a sea monster!” Diana shrieked.</p>
<p>A long hum penetrated the ocean, strong enough to send vibrations through their bodies, and a shorter, sharper hum followed. A gigantic whale swam in front of the girls, slowly waving through the vast depression without noticing them.</p>
<p>“It's a humpback whale!” Akko exclaimed as she broke away from Diana to swim closer.</p>
<p>“Huh? How can you tell?”</p>
<p>“Just look at the white skin on the underside! Plus, you can tell from the shapes of their fins and tail! They also tend to migrate during...”</p>
<p>Diana mentally checked out for a moment as Akko rambled on about whales, bewildered by her knowledge about them. Despite that, however, she was happy to see Akko excited about something she was clearly well versed in.</p>
<p>“Hey!” Akko said as she swam back to Diana, “If I can speak with fish, do you think I can speak with whales too?”</p>
<p>“Well, I...” Diana pondered for a moment. “They do live in the oceans, but they're also mammals...”</p>
<p>“I'm going to try speaking whale!” Akko declared as she raised her hands to amplify her voice.</p>
<p>“What--”<br/>Akko began wailing a horrible noise into the ocean, dragging out low notes and shrieking high notes; Diana covered her ears and winced, as even in water the magic allowed her screaming to travel normally. Akko finally stopped and the girls looked to see the whale turning its direction and swimming away, though Diana questioned if it was from fear or compliance.</p>
<p>“Come on! I asked it to lead us to the structure!” Akko hurriedly swam after the whale.</p>
<p>Diana, somewhat disoriented now, quickly followed before she fell behind. The girls swam alongside the whale as it guided them through the dark ocean, the glow of Diana's wand being the only source of light now that the sun had set. Minutes passed one after the other, and the girls began to worry that they may not find this alleged structure at all. But then...</p>
<p>“Diana, look!”</p>
<p>Through the dark veil, the outline of a tower came into view. As the girls parted from the whale, the full scale of the structure was becoming more visible as the rising Moon above poured light into the sea: the top of the tower rose much higher than Diana had anticipated, and below the lower floors of the tower sank into the unknown abyss.</p>
<p>Akko turned to the whale and shouted, “Thank you mister whale!”</p>
<p>Together, the girls swam to the tower and observed the huge structure, circling around it as they rose to higher floors. The walls were painted with swirling spirals and ancient magic symbols, pillars lined the edges supporting each floor, and doorways lead to small living spaces and huge rooms littered with stone statues and barnacle covered decor. They entered one room to find a destroyed library, swimming past the broken shelves and scattered stone tablets that had withered away.</p>
<p>“This place is fascinating... so much history and knowledge has been forgotten here.” Diana remarked.</p>
<p>“It's amazing that we can explore a mystical place like this together, it's a little bit unsettling though...” Akko said as she swam close to Diana.</p>
<p>The girls found a spiraling stairwell and followed it upwards, eventually reaching the top of the tower. They entered an open room with high walls and a massive hole in the domed ceiling, which moonlight poured through onto the aquatic life that made its home across the floor. The girls swam to the center of the room and gazed upon the Moon which glimmered in the waves far above.</p>
<p>“It's beautiful...” Akko said.</p>
<p>Both girls turned to each other, “Almost as beautiful as--”</p>
<p>They giggled together and looked at one another. Diana couldn't help but admire the subtle beauty in Akko's face as the moonlight shined on her soft complexion, and her hands reached out to grab Akko's. Their faces came closer until their foreheads gently pressed together, with Diana's tail wrapping around Akko's as they embraced. The pale moonlight surrounded them in the dim room, illuminating them in the center of their silent audience, and their cradled bodies kept each other warm in the cold water. Diana looked into Akko's beautiful eyes, and Atsuko looked into hers.</p>
<p>They closed their eyes, their mouths moved forward, and their lips met in a gentle kiss that lasted for ages. Their arms wrapped around each others bare backs, their fingers clinging to the others skin, and their tails fluttered as they slowly spun in the twinkling water. Finally, their lips parted with a shared smile.</p>
<p>Akko opened her eyes, “... I love you, Diana.”</p>
<p>Diana's eyes widened as her cheeks grew hot, “... I love you too, Akko.”</p>
<p>They giggled, embraced, and twirled in the water together as merry feelings filled their hearts. After some time, Diana shivered and hugged Akko to keep warm.</p>
<p>“As romantic as this is, I'm starting to freeze. Maybe we should head back and get some rest.”</p>
<p>“Sure! Um, maybe we can sleep in all morning, together.” Akko suggested.</p>
<p>“That sounds lovely, dear. Sleeping by your side will keep me plenty warm.”</p>
<p>Akko stroked the back of Diana's head, “So what should we do tomorrow?”</p>
<p>“Hmm... Well, I know of a 'Pig Beach' on Exuma. Perhaps we'll go there?”</p>
<p>“That sounds really cute! Maybe I can turn into a pig and swim with the others!”</p>
<p>Diana giggled, “Goodness, you're so adorable.”</p>
<p>Akko blushed and cracked an embarrassed smile, “Hmph!”</p>
<p>“Come on, dear, let's return to the resort.”</p>
<p>The girls held hands and swam up through the hole in the ceiling, slowly making their way to the surface until they swam along the waves in the moonlight together. Their undersea adventure had come to a magical end.</p>
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